La Porte Educational Development Foundation celebrates local educators at Evening with the Stars

On Thursday, May 14, La Porte County residents gathered at Purdue University Northwest Westville campus’s Dworkin Center to honor the teachers and staff of the La Porte Community School Corporation at the La Porte Educational Development Foundation’s (LPEDF) Evening with the Stars gala.

Teachers were celebrated with delicious food and drinks, while raffles and silent auctions added extra layers to the festivities. Pamela Stanfield, LPEDF’s communications director, believes strongly in celebrating educators and that recognizing their importance causes a positive chain reaction that reaches students.

“Everybody deserves to have access to quality public education, and I feel that through our mission – raising funds to support teachers – supports students,” Stanfield said.

For a nonprofit organization like the LPEDF, putting together Evening with the Stars is no easy task. A proper venue is needed to accommodate the event’s impressive 350 attendee turnout. Refreshments and catering, from fresh salads to fluffy cupcakes, need to be provided. The difficult budget constraints of a nonprofit need to be accounted for. Much of these logistics fall onto Stanfield, who is happy to work so tirelessly in support of La Porte’s students and educators.

“My job mission and my goals are to best support our students and staff, whether that be through financial support, or even just emotional support, by encouraging them and congratulating them on the successes that they have in our classroom,” Stanfield said.

Among the educators honored at Evening With the Stars was Claudia Williams, the library media specialist at Kesling Intermediate. Williams was recognized for her remarkable 55-year career at Kesling, a long tenure that feels short to Williams due to the joy she gets from connecting kids with literature. Williams views reading and writing as an important baseline of education, a foundation that many of life’s important skills are built on.

“It’s the most important thing. If they can’t read, they can’t do anything,” Williams said. “My job is the best in the world. I love connecting kids with books.”

The La Porte Community School Corporation honors teachers and students in ways beyond the Evening with the Stars celebration. Their biggest yearly event, the annual Turkey Trot, is going on its 12th year. The event has become a community staple among La Porte residents. LPEDF’s new initiative, the Little Slicers Club, aims to integrate young children and new families into La Porte’s school system by giving them an early sense of belonging and a yard sign advertising their graduating class.

“We want to welcome new families to the La Porte school system and get their kids excited about going to kindergarten, so they can join to be part of the Little Slicers Club,” Stanfield said.

The LPEDF’s Evening with the Stars is a perfect emblem of the nonprofit’s mission; teachers need to be recognized. Teaching is often a thankless job, and organizations like the LPEDF play a pivotal role in boosting the morale of La Porte’s educators, which in turn creates a better learning environment for students.

More information on the La Porte Educational Development Foundation, including its mission, sponsors, and future events, can be found at lpedf.org.